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Baked Sesame Tofu is made into sticks and served with a tasty peanut butter and tahini sauce that’s so delicious! And some readers tell me that even the kids will gobble up this tasty Sesame.

PIN the Baked Sesame Tofu to try it later!

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks with Peanut Butter and Tahini Sauce close-up photo

I tried three versions of these Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks to get one I thought was just right. The tofu sticks were delicious warm, and I even liked the leftovers that had been in the fridge for a few days!

But even in families who are committed to plant-based meals, I’m guessing tofu can be a tough sell sometimes. And the idea of convincing people who think they don’t like tofu to try it as a snack might be even harder! 

But don’t give up on getting your family to enjoy this baked sesame tofu recipe unless you’ve tried pressed and baked tofu, because pressing out the water and baking the tofu makes it firmer and more chewy, and that should make it more appealing to people who don’t like the texture of softer tofu.

And if you have a delicious peanut buttery sauce to dip those tofu sticks into, I think that makes it even better. If you’re open minded about trying tofu, I hope you’ll give this a try!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What makes the Baked Sesame Tofu so flavorful?

The tofu in this recipe is marinated in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener, Sriracha Sauce, and ground ginger paste (or minced ginger), which gives the tofu so much flavor.

What tofu should you use for Baked Sesame Tofu?

Extra-firm tofu will be best for this recipe where the tofu is cut into sticks after the water is pressed out.

How low in carbs is this Sesame Tofu?

This appetizer of tofu sticks with peanut butter and tahini dipping sauce has only 6 net carbs and 15 grams of protein!

What is Tahini Sauce?

Tahini Sauce is the ground sesame paste that’s used in middle eastern cooking, and it’s the distinctive flavor in hummus.

Can you make this Sesame Tofu without Tahini Sauce?

The Tahini Sauce adds a lovely flavor to this sauce. But if you don’t have Tahini and don’t want to buy it for this recipe, just use a bit more peanut butter and it will still be delicious!

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks with Peanut Butter and Tahini Sauce process shots collage

How to Make Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. I used this tofu from Costco; be sure to get extra firm tofu if you can.
  2. Put tofu into a colander  let it drain for a few minutes.
  3. Then cut the tofu in half to make two thinner pieces.
  4. You need to press out most of the water. Lay the two pieces on a double layer of paper towels.
  5. Put another double layer of paper towels on top of the tofu pieces, and put something heavy (like a big cast iron pan) on top of the towel.
  6. Let tofu press about ten minutes (you can see how much water was pressed out.) 
  7. Then replace with fresh towels and press again for about 10 minutes more. (Or longer is even better if you’re not in a hurry!)
  8. While tofu is pressing, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or sweetener of your choice, Sriracha Sauce, and ground ginger or minced ginger root to make the marinade.
  9. Cut each piece of tofu into ten strips, about 1/2 inch wide and lay them in a large baking dish.
  10. Pour marinade over the tofu and let it sit 10-20 minutes to absorb the flavors.
  11. When tofu has marinated, sprinkle 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds over each side.
  12. Brush a small baking dish with oil and lay out the tofu strips so they aren’t touching.
  13. Bake 20 minutes in preheated 400F/200C oven.
  14. While the tofu is baking, use a food processor or the bowl attachment of your Immersion Blender to mix together the ginger, peanut butter, Tahini sauce (or more peanut butter), soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener or other sweetener of your choice, rice vinegar, and water to make the sauce.
  15. After 20 minutes the tofu will be getting lightly browned like this. Turn each piece over and put back in the oven to cook the other side, 10-20 minutes depending on how firm and browned you’d like it.
  16. I cooked mine about 20 minutes more, and here’s how it looked when it came out. 
  17. Serve hot or room temperature, with Peanut Butter and Tahini Sauce for dipping.

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks close-up image of tofu sticks on plate with peanut-tahini sauce

More Tasty Tofu You Might Enjoy:

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks close-up image of tofu sticks on plate with peanut-tahini sauce
Yield: 4 servings

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks are served with a tasty peanut butter and tahini sauce, and these are a great idea for a plant-based snack.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 14 oz. extra firm tofu, pressed to remove water
  • 4 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp. peanut oil or other high smoke-point oil

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 T soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (or other sweetener of your choice)
  • 1 tsp. Sriracha Sauce (or more)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (or grated fresh ginger root)

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 T ground ginger (or grated fresh ginger root)
  • 2 T smooth natural peanut butter (see notes)
  • 2 T Tahini Sauce (see notes)
  • 3 T soy sauce (I used reduced-sodium.)
  • 2  T Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (or other sweetener of your choice)
  • 2 tsp. rice vinegar (not seasoned rice vinegar, which contains sugar)
  • 3 T water

Instructions

  1. Take tofu out of the package and put in a colander placed in a sink.
  2. Let drain for a few minutes.
  3. Then cut tofu in half lengthwise to make two thinner pieces.
  4. Put a double layer of paper towel on a cutting board, put the two tofu pieces on the towel, and top with another double layer of paper towels.
  5. Put a heavy object (that’s big enough to cover the tofu) on top of the paper towel and let it press water out for 10 minutes.  (I used a big cast-iron frying pan.)
  6. After 10 minutes remove the heavy object, discard the wet towels, and press again with new double-layer paper towels on top and bottom of the tofu.
  7. Press about 10 minutes more, or longer is even better if you’re not in a hurry!
  8. While tofu is pressing, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), Sriracha Sauce (affiliate link), and ground ginger (affiliate link) to make the marinade.
  9. Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
  10. Cut each pressed tofu piece into about 10 strips, each about 1/2 inch wide.
  11. Lay the tofu strips larger cut side down in a flat baking dish.
  12. Pour the marinade over tofu, brushing and turning if needed to make sure all sides are covered.
  13. Let tofu marinate 20 minutes.
  14. Then sprinkle 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds over the tofu pieces; turn and sprinkle the other 2 tsp. sesame seeds over the other side.
  15. Spray or brush a small baking sheet with peanut oil (or other high smoke-point oil.)
  16. Lay tofu strips on the baking sheet, taking care not to knock off the sesame seeds.
  17. Bake tofu 20 minutes on first side.
  18. Turn carefully and bake 10-20 minutes more, depending on how browned and crisp you’d like it.
  19. While tofu bakes use a food processor (affiliate link) or the bowl attachment of your Immersion Blender (affiliate link) to mix together the ground ginger, peanut butter, Tahini Sauce (affiliate link), soy sauce, Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link), rice vinegar, and water to make the sauce.  (I’d start with the smaller amount of sweetener and taste to see if you’d like it a little sweeter.)
  20. Serve tofu hot, with sauce for dipping.
  21. I was surprised that this was still pretty tasty after it has been in the fridge for a couple of days, although it’s better when it’s freshly made and still hot.

Notes

Use peanut butter without added sugar, such as Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter (affiliate link) for low-carb or for the original South Beach Diet. If you don’t have Tahini, use 2 T more peanut butter.

I used to make this with agave nectar, but now I'd use Golden Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link). Use any sweetener you prefer.

This recipe combines ideas from several recipes spotted in cookbooks, but the original idea came from a sesame tofu recipe in Power Foods.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 283Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 0mgSodium 1063mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 3gSugar 2gProtein 15g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Appetizers
Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks shown on serving plate placed on colorful napkin.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
When it’s made with approved sweetener, this Sesame Tofu will work for low-carb and Keto diet plans. Tofu is a good low-glycemic choice for any phase of the South Beach Diet, but for Phase One limit to 1/2 cup serving size.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Appetizers to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for baked sesame tofu cut into sticks was first posted in 2014! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

Pinterest image of Baked Sesame Tofu Sticks

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